Watercraft seats and seat components are often subjected to environmental conditions that, for all practical reasons, require the seats and components to be manufactured from materials that are resistant to degradation from exposure to moisture, heat and UV radiation for long periods of time. Supports or bases for water craft seats need to be durable, impact resistant, rigid and mechanically strong enough to support significant loads. Preferably, materials selected for water craft seats should also be abrasion resistant and resistant to chemical attack from various chemicals such as salt, degreasers, cleaners and the like. These requirements are typically met with moldable plastic materials.
In the case of a bench-type water craft seat, it may be desirable to use a base for the seat that has a rectangular, box-like geometry to provide storage space beneath the seat cushion as well as to provide a seat having the required rigidity and mechanical strength. However, it is also desirable that the base be manufactured in a form, such as individual panels, that can be economically transported from a fabrication facility to a location where the base is sold and/or assembled. Once a user is ready to assemble the base, the panels can preferably be assembled together rapidly with a minimum number of tools and fasteners.